For any mom who wears many hats

Menu

Monthly Archives: December 2013

Given my recent post on baking sugar cookies, I decided to put together a more in-depth tutorial to accompany the recipe. The idea for this post is to make Valentine’s Day cookies that can be easily transported to parties and events–and, to make sugar cookies that taste amazing.

The recipe I prefer is a Williams-Sonoma cut-out cookie recipe with a sugar cookie icing that dries shiny. Because the icing dries, you are left with beautiful cookies that can be stacked if necessary. However, the icing is still soft to the touch–not hard like royal icing. To view my previous post that includes my favorite cut-out sugar cookie recipe and sugar cookie icing recipe, click HERE. Or, visit the “Recipes” tab of my blog when you’re finished reading this post.

Tip #1

Baking sugar cookies is a process. Therefore, I suggest that you make your dough ahead of time. Yes, making the dough only takes about 30 minutes. But, rolling it out and cutting it, then baking the cookies and decorating them takes time too. So, make the dough ahead of time and store it–wrapped in saran wrap–for up to 3 days in your fridge.

Tip #2

Rolled sugar cookies can become very bland when rolled out on a dusted flour surface, especially the scraps that have been rolled out a few times. So prevent an over-floured dough, roll your cookies on saran wrap. Your cookies should already be wrapped up from the cooling process, so open out that piece and lay a second piece on top of the dough. Then, roll out the dough. You’ll save prep time and clean-up time, plus your last scrap of dough will taste as good as the first.

Tip #3

Dip your cookie cutters in sugar or flour before cutting the dough. This will help your dough slide out of nooks and crannies of the cutter more easily–maintaining the true shape of the cookie.

Tip #4

Use the same cookie cutter or one of similar size for each cookie on a single sheet. This will ensure that all cookies on the sheet bake evenly and completely.

Tip #5

Pop your cut-out cookies in the fridge (on the baking sheet) for about 15 minutes before baking. This will help ensure that your cookies bake in the cut-out shape instead of spreading across the pan. This tip is especially important when using small cookie cutters or those with intricate details.

Tip #6

Bake on parchment paper. You don’t need to grease your cookie sheet when using parchment paper, so your cookies slide right off the pan without tasting of oil.

Tip #7

Space your cookies far enough apart that if they do “grow” a bit while baking, they don’t touch (see pic above). I usually aim for about 1 1/2 inches between cookies.

Tip #8

If you don’t have piping bags, don’t worry–use zip lock bags. When decorating basic sugar cookies, you only need lines. So, place your icing in a zip-lock baggie (zip it up!), and snip the corner. I use a small snip to ice the edges (see Tip #9), and a large snip to squeeze the main color on before spreading it across the cookie.

Tip #9

Squeeze a thin line of icing around the entire edge of the cookie. Then, let that line dry completely. One dried, you will have much more freedom to fill in the design without the risk of icing running down the edges of your cookies. In the picture below, you’ll notice two things: 1. I’m not a professional decorator. 2. The white icing around the edges of the cookies prevented run-off while allowing me to use a fair amount of fill-in icing on the cookie.

Tip #10

If you plan to add sprinkles or colored sugar, so do after icing each cookie. The icing takes about 30 minutes – 1 hour to dry completely, but in just minutes to top will have begun to set. Once the icing begins to set, your sprinkles will bounce off onto your counter instead of nestling in the icing.

I hope you will find these tips to be helpful for your sugar cookie endeavor. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. I’ll do my best to respond the same day. Enjoy!

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we will all be looking for cute treats to send our kids to school with. I made my famous sugar cookies for Christmas this year, and as always they traveled well for hundreds of miles. Meaning, they can be stacked and transported by your young ones to school without the fear that they will look mangled upon arrival. The icing dries shiny (and firm), so stacking them is not a problem. Below is a snapshot of my Christmas version, but hearts with pink, white, and red icing are obviously your go-to choice for Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

Update: This afternoon I made a batch of Valentine’s Day sugar cookies for my girls. Any variation of heart-shaped cookies with white, pink or red icing would work, as would round cookies with colored icing and sprinkles.

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Williams-Sonoma)

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

TO PREPARE: Over a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, stopping the mixer once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Add the remaining flour and continue beating until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 equal balls. Shape each into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 3/16 to 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut out the desired shapes. If the dough sticks to the cutter, dip the cutter into flour before cutting out more shapes. Using a small offset spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, 10-12 minutes. If baking more than one sheet at a time, rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and 180 degrees halfway through baking.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks and let cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 20 cookies.

Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

TO PREPARE: In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Stir in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. Add food coloring if desired.

Since my husband and I started dating, I always remember eating my MIL’s divinity and bonbons at Christmas time. After 10 years, she decided to share the recipe with me. The result of her sharing: she’s asked ME to send HER divinity for Christmas this year 🙂

Here’s her recipe:

Ingredients

2 2/3 cups white sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Cook sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart pot over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. (On humid days, use 1 tablespoon less water.) Cook, without stirring, to 260 degrees on candy thermometer (or hard ball stage). Test the hard ball stage by dropping a spoonful of the mixture into a bowl of cold water. If you can pull the candy out of the bowl and roll it into a ball without the ball flattening out, it’s ready.

While the candy is cooking in the “without stirring stage”, beat the egg whites in 1-1/2-quart bowl until stiff peaks form. Continue to beat while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites. Add the teaspoon of vanilla (I used regular, not clear, because I prefer the taste). Beat the mixture until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull (see stages below). Add the pecans.

Left Image: Not quite ready Right Image: Ready

Drop one dollop of candy from a buttered spoon onto parchment paper to test the consistency. The candy should be spikey and hold it’s shape. If it looks shiny and flattens a bit, turn your mixer back on.

Correct Consistency

Let stand at room temperature, turning candy over once, until outside of candy is firm–at least 12 hours. Store in an airtight container.

If you’re like me, you may need to wrap a few presents while your kids are home. Today I have another fun, easy, entertaining, and economical way to entertain children while preparing for Christmas. Get them involved! Gather your wrapping paper scraps, used tissue paper and old bows. Setup an activity area for them with their wrapping supplies, as well as a few pieces of pre-cut tape. Ask your kids to color a picture for a sibling or friend, and them have them wrap it. Let them make an easy craft and wrap it for a family member. Or ask them to search through bins of forgotten toys and let them wrap a used toy or book to donate to a less fortunate child.

When moms and dads are busy, it’s important to keep our kids busy too. With this activity, your child can have fun while brightening someone else’s day.